Blueberry Hill - My First Love
“I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill On Blueberry Hill when I found you.” I met Bill the summer of ’39. His family was spending the summer in Perry. “The moon stayed still and lingered until my dreams came true. The wind in the willow tree sang a sweet melody.” We were parked on a nearby country road and would watch the moon come up. We made plans...
Eggs and Puppy Love
Eggs and Puppy Love (in iambic pentameter) I approached the door of the grocery And took a bold step in to buy some eggs In my search for the eggs, I saw the girl Who could, if she wished, sweep me off my feet. The eggs were against the wall near the cheese, I placed three dozen in my cart with care. Then this red-haired girl was approaching me...
For Elise, My Muse
Fȕr Elise Für Elise was not published until 1867, 40 years after Beethoven’s death in 1827. The discoverer of the piece, Ludwig Nohl, stated that the original autographed manuscript, which is lost, was dated 27 April 1810. The version of Für Elise we hear today is the early version. There is a later version, with drastic changes to the...
Jean Spining
FoldUnfold Table of Contents Christmas Memory 1935 How to Meet Men: The Tea Dance Christmas Memory 1935 We were married in 1933 and living in Brooklyn, CT. Our first child arrived about one year later. My husband worked in Mousup, CT in a Sand and Gravel plant. Money was very tight. I wasn’t looking forward to Christmas that year, since money...
Long Lost Bach
I thought it was lost, only the haunting frame of the melody remained. Music that helped carry me and calm me through, not only biology, but also my second semester of college. I could move through the stacks to find those albums, my friends and consolation, by the look of the jacket even if I did not remember the name of the work or the...
Mowing in the Nude
Everything is bigger in Texas; except the trees. What Texans call a tree, most people call a shrub. Oh, and one other thing, the hills. In west Texas, the elementary schools have berms in the playgrounds so there is one place that will block the prevailing 20 mile an hour winds, but more so that the children will have the experience of walking on...
My First Date - 1968
I have assigned this topic to my OLLI class but I am struggling to remember my own first date. I know that I hungered for a first date, a first kiss, a first someone, some prince charming to notice me and I suspect that is the deepest desire of every teenager and perhaps of every ager. I do remember being asked to dances, probably in 8th grade but...
My Wedding Day, August 12, 1944.
It was my wedding day, August 12, 1944. in St. Augustine, Florida. All was planned for a 4 pm ceremony. At noon, the telephone rang. It was my bridesmaid, Laura, in Jacksonville, Florida. I can't get to your wedding - they won't let me on the bus, she exclaimed. Transportation was very restricted during the war. Service people got priority....
Our walks in the park
What I find amazing is a love that gives me Valentine's Day every day. I round a corner or walk in the door and I'm filled with such warmth, even on the coldest of days. Our days together are something I never dreamed possible, and came to both of us so unexpectedly with a surprise of great joy .. after finally allowing US to be, in spite of so...
The Night the Lights Went Out
1960s - The Night the City Went Black It was a mild evening for the ninth of November as I started my return trip from East New York to Queens. I had just finished the forty-five minute train ride from Thomas Edison High School in Jamaica. I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of leaving home again to repeat the journey. But that night I had a mission,...
They Lived Happily Ever After
“What can we do for Valentine's Day that would remind you how special you are to me, every day?” “That's a tough question. I never really had a Valentine's memory to hold up as a benchmark.” “Well, let's create one.” The Hallmark holiday; well, maybe it is one of several. An obscure saint or maybe three that has become a cash cow for the greeting...
Wartime Wedding
Once upon a time, back in March 1944, I was rather suddenly, to be married on 10 days notice. It was wartime. My navy husband-to-be was between assignments and uncertain of his next orders – so – no time for that big church wedding, or any bridal showers. No time to send out invitations or gather bridesmaids. My only sister was with her husband and...
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